1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle controller for a straddle type vehicle wherein the vehicle controller is adapted to perform an authentication function.
2. Description of the Related Art
For commonly used two-wheeled motor vehicles, engine start/stop and locking/unlocking of the steering have been performed by a mechanical key operation that involved inserting a key into a keyhole before key operation, which can be considered burdensome. Thus, a remote control system was proposed in which an owner of the vehicle would carry a portable transmitter (portable device) to transmit a signal to the vehicle to remotely control starting of the engine and unlocking of the steering system. This system would provide antitheft security by coding the signal transmitted to the vehicle and by authenticating the received encrypted signal with an authentication function installed on the vehicle.
Japanese Patent Document, JP-A-Hei 3-21575, disclosed a conventional authentication system. In this system, following successful authentication, a vehicle power circuit was switched-ON so that the engine could be started and so that the steering could be unlocked. An ignition switch and an unlocking switch could be manually operated once the power circuit was powered up and the two switches could start-up the engine and release the steering lock, respectively. In such a system, if authentication failed, the power circuit was not powered up. Thus, the engine would not start and the steering lock would not release the locked state. Thus, the system provided antitheft protection for the vehicle.
Japanese Patent Document, JP-A-Hei 6-247260, disclosed another authentication system. This system used a non-contact IC card. Upon successful authentication, the steering lock was released and the engine was able to be started. In this system, the engine enabling components and the steering lock release mechanism were all accommodated in a rigid steering lock unit, thereby preventing from engine start-up by an unauthenticated driver.